


Many Names

by kinghinatatobio (redhoodedwolf)



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Canon Compliant, Crushes, Fluff, Kid Fic, M/M, Nicknames, Pre-Canon, cute kids being cute, set in like 4/5 grade, they sooooo like each other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-22
Updated: 2017-09-22
Packaged: 2019-01-03 21:58:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12155613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redhoodedwolf/pseuds/kinghinatatobio
Summary: “Kei-chan, I—”“No, Yamaguchi.”Yamaguchi came to a halt at Kei’s desk, mouth turning down into a frown and forehead scrunching in confusion. “No what, Kei-chan?”“‘Kei-chan’. Stop calling me that.”





	Many Names

**Author's Note:**

> I was thinking about tsukkiyama (you know, as one does) and how when they met as kids there were no nicknames, but in the flashforward to middle school, Yamaguchi is calling Tsukishima ’Tsukki’. I wondered how that change happened, and so I wrote this. Enjoy! 
> 
> Originally posted on tumblr!

            “Kei-chan, I—”

            “No, Yamaguchi.”

            Yamaguchi came to a halt at Kei’s desk, mouth turning down into a frown and forehead scrunching in confusion. “No _what_ , Kei-chan?”

            Kei tightened his jaw. He refused to look at Yamaguchi, instead looking straight forward at the empty blackboard at the front of the room. “‘Kei-chan’. Stop calling me that.”

            Kei heard the gasp Yamaguchi made and then two hands were holding onto his arm and tugging, begging for his attention. He refused to give it.

            “What? Why?”

            “We’re not babies anymore, Yamaguchi. Not even my parents use ‘-chan’ anymore.”

            Kei heard a sniffle. His jaw tightened further. “Akiteru does,” Yamaguchi argued.

            “And I told him to stop, just like you.”

            There was no doubt that Yamaguchi was still frowning. He wasn’t a fan of change, Kei knew, even something as easy as this. But Kei would not relent. He wasn’t a baby anymore.

            “Bu-But, we’re friends Kei—Kei…”

            Kei felt his face warm. “Not that either.”

            Tadashi made a noise of anger. “I can’t even call you your name?!”

            “Tsukishima is my name,” Kei stated.

            “But that’s…not…” Yamaguchi trailed off, fingers relaxing and slipping away from Kei’s arm. Kei deemed it safe now, and glanced over at Yamaguchi.

            Yamaguchi looked…heartbroken. Kei’s eyes widened. It definitely wasn’t safe. Abort!

            “Not what?” he found himself probing, without meaning to.

            “We’re friends…right?” Yamaguchi looked at him with wide, pleading eyes.

            Kei stuttered. “Wha—of course we are! So, what?”

            “So!” Yamaguchi shouted, and Kei shushed him. Other students were starting to notice their little spat. “Friends are closer than strangers. Strangers call you Tsukishima. I don’t…want to be a stranger.”

            “Stupid Yamaguchi,” Kei replied, on instinct. “I call you by _your_ surname.”

            Yamaguchi’s cheeks went red for some reason. “Well, that’s…different.” He pursed his lips and stomped his foot. “I still don’t want to!”

            “Fine!” Kei said. “Come up with a different name, then!”

            Yamaguchi’s eyes widened. “Wha—a new name? Um…” Yamaguchi tapped his toes, then rocked back and forth on his heels.

            Kei sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose. He opened his mouth to speak, but Yamaguchi cut him off.

            “Tsukki!”

            “Bless you!” someone shouted from across the room.

            Kei raised an eyebrow. Yamaguchi looked like he’d had a major epiphany. “What?” Kei asked.

            “Tsukki. That’s my nickname for you. It’s like your last name, like you wanted, right?”

            “…Tsukki, though?” Kei had to ask, the name sounding weird when he said it.

            “Yep! Like, um… ‘Thanks, Tsukki!’ or, uh, ‘Sorry, Tsukki!’ or…”

            Kei covered his face with a hand, hiding away the red flush. “Okay! I get it. It’s fine, just… it’s fine.”

            Yamaguchi giggled. “Sorry, Tsukki.” He smacked his lips, as if tasting the words. “I like it. Tsuuuuki!”

            Kei reached out and shoved Yamaguchi towards his desk, the other boy laughing at the action and the flush on his friend’s face. “Just, go sit down. Class is gonna start soon.”

            “You knoooow,” Yamaguchi added as he walked backwards towards his desk, “You can give me a nickname as well.”

            “No, ‘Yamaguchi’ is fine,” Kei replied immediately.

            Yamaguchi’s smile fell, eyes dropping to the floor for a second, before it was back, a little dimmer than before. “Oh, that’s—”

            “I like ‘Yamaguchi’,” Kei found himself admitting, and then immediately ducking his head to hide his blush. But he didn’t miss seeing from the corner of his eye, as Yamaguchi took a seat at his desk, the satisfied smile on his friend’s face paired with the happy blush crawling up his ears.  

**Author's Note:**

> Catch me on my tumblr [kinghinatatobio](http://kinghinatatobio.tumblr.com) or on [twitter](http://twitter.com/kinghinatatobio)!


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